of England?"33 This sermon was a very direct challenge to the worship practices of St. Peter’s Church.

The Sunday Sermon turned into a two part delivery. It was later revised and published upon request of members of St. Paul’s Church congregation. It was an obvious attempt to draw ‘fallen’ members of the Parish Church back away from the new church congregation by attacking the Tractarian influences in evidence at St. Peter’s. The address identified the following as errors in the worship practices of St. Peter’s:

Not to enumerate all the novelties in worship, innovations in practice, and errors in doctrine and practice, which this party are endeavouring to bring in, and after the example of their patron saint to force upon the church - for time would fail to do so — suffice it to say, there are processions, with banners and crosses, lights for the altar, midnight masses, early morning or fasting celebrations of the holy Eucharist, showy vestments for the clergy, various colored coverings for the altar, elevation and adoration of the elements, the burning of incense, the use of wafer bread for the blessed Sacrament, mixing water with the wine, auricular confession and priestly absolution, prayers for the dead, the bodily presence of Christ in the elements, unwanted reverence to men regarded as sacrificing priests, mediators, and Holy Fathers, high celebrations and gaudy ceremonials, and many of these adopted in our own midst, at first quietly and gradually introduced, but now openly acknowledged; and more will follow, according as the people are educated up to it, as they are blinded to receive them, and their minds are corrupted by them, for they are but part and parcel of one vast system, a conspiracy against the good old church of England, emanating from a desire to pull her down, and on her ruins plant the Laudian flag or the Popish standard...84

Fitzgerald maintained that the Church of England was not only Protestant but Scriptural as well, and that doctrines which proclaimed and supported auricular confession, priestly absolution, seven sacraments, prayers for the dead, and a host of others were false doctrines and "a libel on our church".85 He went on to protest:

Besides the doctrines already enumerated, Ritualists join with Roman Catholics in setting up Images of the Virgin, and of Saints, in their churches. They introduce pictures of the Twelve Stations of the Cross, and publish prayers to

83. Semi-Weekly Patriot. February 24th, 1872. 84. The Reverend D. Fitzgerald, "Ritualistic Teaching not the Teaching of the Church of

England." Two Sermons, 1872. 85 Ibid.

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